By Brian Rogers |
August 14, 2008

Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen, her husband, Joel Osteen, left, and attorney, Rusty Hardin, share their reactions after a jury found that she did not assault a Continental Airlines flight attendant.

Photo By Steve Ueckert/Chronicle

Continental Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown leaves the courtroom Thursday after a Harris County jury determined that Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen did not assault her.

Photo By Steve Ueckert/Chronicle

Jury foreman Gilles E. Labbe' speaks on behalf of the jury after they determined Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen did not assault a Continental Airlines flight attendant.

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After more than two years of accusations that she assaulted a Continental Airlines flight attendant, Lakewood Church's Victoria Osteen was grateful Thursday to find redemption from a jury, whose foreman said the allegations were a "waste of time."

The wife of Lakewood pastor Joel Osteen exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus!" as she cried and embraced her defense team, including high-profile lawyer Rusty Hardin, after hearing the unanimous verdict.

The flight attendant, Sharon Brown, smiled after the verdict was read and embraced her sister. She left the courtroom, still smiling, but declined to comment.

Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie, declared it was too early to decide whether he will appeal the verdict.

He read a statement he attributed to his client. "We gave the truth to the jury," he said. "We thank the jury. We know they had a difficult decision to make, and we're glad we put the decision to a jury."

The jury was asked to decide whether Brown had been assaulted and, if so, whether she deserved damages for what she alleged was an assault aboard an airliner that was preparing to head to Vail, Colo., in December 2005.

Brown contended that Osteen grabbed her by the shoulders, pushed her into a restroom door and elbowed her in the chest during a dispute over some liquid spilled on her first-class seat aboard the plane.

After the verdict, Joel Osteen stood at his wife's side and smiled.

"We have no ill will toward (Brown) or Continental or anybody," he said. "God will always see you through."

The jury of five women and seven men deliberated about two hours. State District Judge Patricia Hancock had warned the packed courtroom against outbursts when the decision was announced.

Each of the five days of trial saw standing room only for late-comers. Osteen supporters, Brown supporters and curious onlookers even sat on the floor to hear testimony.

On Thursday, an overflow audience sat in another courtroom wired for sound and video to watch closing arguments.

In his arguments, McKamie called Brown a hero and accused Osteen of believing she is exempt from society's rules. He asked jurors to award Brown at least $405,000 in damages.

But defense attorney Hardin, at times strongly objecting to McKamie's remarks, reminded the jury that even a witness called by McKamie had shocked both sides by testifying that no assault occurred.

"She said 'There was no way it happened,' " Hardin said, quoting the testimony of airplane passenger Barbara Shedden.

Shedden's surprise testimony appeared to be the turning point for Osteen in the trial.

Hardin maintained that Osteen never touched Brown.

Jury took case seriously

Jury foreman Gilles Labbe said the panel agreed almost from the beginning that no assault had taken place.

Labbe, the president of a small Houston oil company, described the case as "a complete waste of time." He added that if the jury could have awarded court costs to the Osteens, he would have voted to do it.

Labbe said the jurors took the case seriously and believed that an incident had occurred, but that it did not rise to the level of assault.

"This lawsuit should not have been filed," he said.

Juror Mark Bowden agreed.

"I don't think (Brown) lied," he said. "I think she exaggerated what happened. I think it was verbal, but no assault."

During his closing, McKamie alleged that the Osteens believe there are "special rules for special people."

"(Osteen) wants special rules," McKamie said. "She feels she's a hammer and everybody else is little nails and she can hit the nails."

He said Brown was protecting her job while Osteen was protecting her interests.

"This is about Victoria protecting her image, protecting her family business ... and protecting her sense of entitlement."

He asked jurors for $5,000 to $10,000 for medical damages, $200,000 for past mental anguish and $200,000 for future mental anguish.

"It's not a big pain. It's a medium pain," McKamie said. "It's not like losing a leg. It's a medium pain."

In his closing, Hardin urged jurors to end the "sacrilege" of a lawsuit.

He said Brown lives in an imaginary world all her own, "a world of imaginary slights, of perceived slights."

Previous incident stressed

He emphasized testimony that Brown accused another Continental employee, a gate agent, of hitting her during a plane boarding in 1995. The desk agent's supervisor wrote a general letter of apology, but didn't reprimand the desk agent or ask her to sign the letter.